Signaling device



1940- R. E. KATHRINER SIGNALING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1938 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESS Jan. 23, 1940. KATHRINER 2,188,224

SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO WITNESS ATTORNEYS fioberzzilihtkrz'n Patented Jan. 23,1940

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNALING DEVICE v Robert E. Kathriner, pakland, Calif. Application January 31, 1938, Serial 'No. 187,951

. ICIaim.

This invention relates to signaling devices'of the type particularly adapted for use on motor vehicles to indicate intended turns.

.- object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthis character in which the signal arm is equipped with a neon tube the energizing current of which is received from the high tension side of the ignition circuit of the motor 16. vehicle so that the use of a second coil is disposition, in non-indicating position. of the sig-p nal arm the switch beingset to pass current from the distributor to a spark plug, and in signaling position the switch being set to pass current from the distributor through the neon lamp and then to the spark plug. V

A further object is to providenovel signal apparatus of this type which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order. With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain noveldetails ofconstructionand combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification;

Figure l is a rear elevation of turn signaling apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and shown in applied position upon a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the signal device taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the signal device taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing the switch contacts, also showing the flexible shaft for manually adjusting the signal arm and the switch contacts.

Figure 4 is anotherlongitudinal sectional view of the device taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and showing the stationary stop lugs and movable stop bolt to limit movement of the signal arm in either direction.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the signal device taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 and showing the switch contacts in elevation.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the form an arrow, a neon tube I l of the same shape 1 being housed within the enclosure of the wire frame and being clamped to the latter by a twopiece' clamp including side members l2, best shown in Figure 6, shaped to embrace the tube and frame and clamped to-both the tube and 1 frame by a plurality of clamp bolts l3.

The signal arm is carried by a switch housing comprising companion shells l4 and I5, best shown in Figure 2, theshell if: having a tubular bracket arm l6 formed integral therewith and provided with a threaded extension 5! which is passed through an opening in the side H! of the vehicle. A shoulder I9 is formed on the bracket to engage the outer surface of the side of the vehicle'and a clamp nut 20 is threaded on to the 35' threaded extension I? and engages the inner surface of the vehicle to clamp the signaling device in position.

The shell I4 is rotatably mounted with respect to the shell I5 and to attain this end the shell 30 M is provided with an axially disposed hollow shaft 2|, best shown in Figure2. The shaft is internally threaded to receive the threaded end of a shaft 22 which is rotatably mounted in a disc 23 which forms a closure for the shell l5 ,5

and is removably secured to the shell l5 by screws 24 to permit assembly of the parts. A bushing 25 formed of insulating material is sleeved on the shaft 22 and is fixed to the latter by means of a radially disposed pin 23' adapted to be 0 swung in an arc torotate the shell l4 through a similar arc and move the signal arm to indicating or non-indicating positions.

As best shown in Figure 4 the shell I4 is provided internally on opposite sides of the axis with 5 integral blocks 26 providing stop shoulders which engage against a stop 21 in the nature of a bolt,

carried by the stationary disc 23, as best shown in Figure 2, to limit rocking movement of the signal arm. The longitudinal side portions of 50 the wire frame are secured in openings 28 and are keyed therein by pins 29.

The ends of the neon tube are secured in a block 30 of insulating material confined between the two blocks 26 as best shown in Figure 4. 66

High tension conductor wires 3| and 32 are trained through the hollow rotatable shaft 22 and are terminally directed through suitable openings in the insulating block and connected to the electrodes 33 of the'neon tube.

As best shown in Figures 3, 5 and '7 the insulating sleeve is provided with a pair of spaced parallel circumferentially extending switch contacts 34 and 35 and the inner ends of the conductor wires are brought out of the hollow shaft 22 and connected respectively to the contacts 34 and 351 A pair of stationary resilient switch contacts 36 and 3'! are mounted on a block 38 of insulating material secured to the stationary These spring contacts shell l5 by a screw 39. have wiping engagement with themovable switch contacts 34 and 35 when the signal arm isin"' indicating position. The insulating-sleeve-25is also provided with a longitudinally extending switch arm is in non-indicating .position.

As best shown in Figure 7 the resilient contact 36 is connected by a conductor wire 4| to a spa'rk plug 42 of the" vehicle internalcombusti'on engine. The resilient contact 31 is connected by c a conductor wire 43 to the distributor 44 of the push rod 48,'shown best in Figure 1. rod may be attached to any convenient part of Ii sion ignition coil 45 which need not be described in detail.

When .the signal arm is turned to indicating position the current will flow from the distributor through the wire 43, contact 31, contact 35, wire 3|, neon tube H, wire 32, contact 34, contact 36,

and wire 4! to the spark plug. a When the signal arm is turned to non-indicating position current will flow from the distributor 44 to the wire 43, contact 31, bridging contact 40, contact 36, and wire 4! to the spark plug to energize the spark plug.

For actuating the switch arm a flexible shaft 45 is connected to the pin 23., as'best shown in Figure 3, and is trained through a cab-1e 4'! to a The push the vehicle within convenient reach of the driver preferably to the instrument paneli,49., The push rod may be pulled out to swing the signal arm from a perpendicular downward position indicated by broken lines in Figure 1 to a horizontal position indicating a left turn or to an obliquely upward position also indicated by broken lines to indicate a right turn. Simultaneously with the movement of the signal arm to any position indicating the drivers intention the bridging contact will be moved off of the resilient stationary contacts, 35 and 31 and the movable contacts 34 and ,35'wi1l be brought into contact with the resilient contacts to connect the energizing ,circuit of the signal arm in series with the spark "plug circuit.

1 To prevent short circuits the stationary shell I5 is provided with a line of insulating material and insulation may be disposed upon other desired. parts of the device. t From the above description it is thought that the" construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation. 7 a

What is claimed is: I In a motor vehicle signal device, a rotary shell and a stationary shell disposed edge to edge to form a hollow casing, a bracket arm extending from the stationary shell and adapted to mount the device on a vehicle, a supporting disc at the edge of the stationary shell, a shaft carried by the rotary shell formed to provide a shoulder for abutting one face of the. disc, a bushing on the shaft forming a shoulderfor abutting the other face of the disc and ,co-acting with the first named shoulder in preventing separation of the shells, a signal arm extending from the rotary shell, said shaft carried by the rotary shell, on the horizontal axis of the said casing and rotatably connected to the supporting disc for disposing the signal arm to swing in a' vertical plane, a radially disposed pin vconnected to said shaft, a cable carried by the bracket arm and connected to said pin for, rotating the shaft to actuate the signal arm,'a stop pin projecting from the supporting disc into the rotary shell, and shoulders on the rotary shell engageable'with the stop pin to limit rotation of the rotary-shell in either direction. I

ROBERT E. KATHRINER. 

